Patent · US Expired

Method for requesting service by a device which generates a service request signal successively until it is serviced

US4875158A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
37References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 14, 1987
Grant dateOct 17, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 14, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L12/403
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for requesting service by a device coupled to a host computer through a communication medium. The host computer sets a service request bit of the device to a first logical value to allow the device to produce a service request signal if the device requires servicing. The device determines that it requires servicing and the device sets an internal flag bit to a first logical value to indicate that the device requires servicing. The device monitors a command from the host computer to see if the command is addressed to the device. If the command is not addressed to the device and if the service request bit is set to a first logical value, then the device generates a service request signal on the medium after the command by holding the communication medium low for a first period of time. If the command is addressed to the device, if the device determines that the command is not a command that services the device, and if the service request bit is set to the first logical value, then the device generates a service request signal on the medium after the command by holding the medium low for the first period of time and performs the command. If the command is addressed to the dev…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.